How could you wait three hours to shoot and not notice the wind?
Why you shooting such a low b.c. bullet in the wind?
Why do you take such "long" shots at elk but you have a bad hip?
If your primary deal was to get your relative an elk, why you shooting after "three hours"?
I am sorry for your loss, but whoa I think this confessional should have gone to the priest. just braying John
Good questions.
1. B.C of .387.
This is an approximation (guess) based on bullet shape and weight and comparisons with the 160 grain Speer Grand Slam I used successfully in the 7mm RM for 20+ years. Since 1982 when I got started I've only taken 4 shots of 350 yards or longer, including this year. Off the top of my head, I think all the rest have been 300 yards or under. The North Fork SS bullets have proved to be excellent bullets, providing exactly what I want from a hunting bullet, including reliable but controlled expansion with high weight retention over a broad range of impact velocities and excellent accuracy, with animals dropping at the shot or quickly thereafter. Launched at 3028fps and 2.6" high at 100 yards provides a Maximum Point Blank for 6" target of 297 yards with about a calculated 253 yard zero (more numbers that I'm sure will raise Alamosa's blood pressure). For the vast majority of my shooting this means I don't need to make more than a 3" range adjustment, up or down, when choosing my aim point. It also means that inside 300 yards, which is the norm, I often don't make any adjustment at all.
As to the wind, we hadn't detected any significant wind on the way to our position or while we were there - just the expected air movement that rarely stops, maybe 2-3mph. We knew there was some wind along the south facing slopes but it wasn't reaching us at our position, which was more sheltered. We only noticed some gusts when we headed toward the saddle, which also took us to the top edge of the southern slopes.
2. "Long" shots with a bad hip.
Lots of reasons, starting with it was the shot opportunity that was provided and probably the closest I was going to get under the circumstances. Alamosa thinks I should have tried to get closer, which I've done many times when hunting by myself. In this case I had my son-in-law with me and, much as I love him, he doesn't do slow or quiet, let alone both.
Another is that, although I once felt anything over 200 yards was long, that time was years and hundreds of shots at much longer ranges ago. For this particular shot I was shooting a grazing elk broadside from a solid sitting position, off a tripod. It doesn't get much better except off the rock-solid steel benches at the range.
As to the hip, an extra 100-200 yards for a shot just didn't make a difference. Although the truck was about 1-1/2 miles away, the nearest 4x4 track was only about 1/2 a mile away and mostly downhill or level for a relatively easy pack-out. That was a much bigger consideration.
3. Shooting after 3 hours
The opportunity was there, the elk weren't getting any closer and we didn't think we could close the range without spooking them, it was mid-afternoon and chances of finding elk elsewhere on the part of the ranch we were hunting were slim at best, it was already too late to check-in at the other part of the ranch (which was over an hour's drive away) and my son-in-law didn't want to take the shot. One thing I've learned about elk hunting over the years is not to waste a good opportunity. Taking the shot was the logical thing to do.
4. Confessional
This thread was never intended to be that, just an honest summary of the hunt. It still bothers me that the animal was lost but I'm not asking anyone's forgiveness.
Hopefully some people that read this thread will learn something useful to them but one thing is certain - people can't read and learn from words that are never written.
